Introduction

When we talked about Media what come to our mind first? - Daily news, what happening in our surroundings, what are the important events happing at local, national, and international levels, etc. we can get from media.

Now the main question is regarding the quality and authenticity of the news. What media published or what media telecast leaves a lasting impact upon the citizens or at large upon the whole Nation? But there is no doubt that the media sometimes represent the news in such a way so that they can impress the public. It is very rude to hear that often the media house creates news without knowing the fact or without trying to know the actual incident they just made it, tampered, and diminish the original fact so that they can make it spicy and entertaining. It is a threat to the validity and reliability of different Media houses. The vernacular press specifically attempts to sensitize any news item, particularly with political twists to drag public attention to increase their circulation and viewership.

Role of media

The role of an unbiased, unprejudiced, balanced, and honest media in the society is rather broad and all-encompassing, that all need appreciation and respect. B The media is the primary means of mass communication. In modern culture, the media is the most informative and most important aspect of mass communication. It takes numerous forms, such as the internet, which allows us to obtain up-to-date news about the globe with the flick of a finger. It is responsible for publishing, transmitting, and distributing news either on the Internet or through television, print, radio, and digital data.

Among all these ‘print’ is the original and oldest type of media. The Internet, on the other hand, is the most recent and sophisticated type of media. Social media is the most recent media update, and it comprises frequent updates from our regular users who utilize social networking sites (Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram).

If you ask to any educated citizen what is your morning routine?

We can get different types of answers from different age group of people. In most of the cases the answer will be exercise or a morning walk then a cup of fresh tea with the newspaper. Some people may say I prefer to have a cup of tea after switching on the T.V. with favorable news channels to just have a look to the headlines of the day. Either the most voted answer will be to have a pip to their phone screen along with subscribed news channel or read an e-newspaper. So, even in the busy schedule of our life, there is no doubt that the media has an influence and significant impact on our daily lives. We regularly educate ourselves by keeping up with current events. For example, with the vast evolution of the globe as a whole, you may learn about the current issues of the entire world as well as our own country.

Media responsibility while operating within the walls of our functional democracy

A democracy is built on three fundamental pillars: the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary. According to Edmund Burke, the fourth wheel of democracy is the media. Article 19(1) (a) of our constitution mentions the freedom of the press implicitly; every citizen has the basic right to free speech and expression, and the same applies to the media.

The press is seen to be devoid of bias or prejudice, with the main goal of informing its readers about all that happens in the world. It is claimed that "a pen is mightier than a sword," and the truth of the colorful world is displayed in front of us with the black small characters on the white newspaper. The media has long played an important role in society. There is a long legacy of independent journalism; we have already seen major frauds exposed by the Indian media. Journalists in India are underpaid, and we should credit them for gathering that knowledge. Journalists must be paid and respected according to their job.

But there have also been cases where the media has displayed incorrect news in order to increase TRP for their TV channel. The lack of competent editing also contributes to the channel's demise. Nowadays, media outlets are less concerned with essential topics like as the GDP, unemployment, school reform, agriculture legislation, increasing commodity price and so on, and instead place a greater focus on entertainment news in order to capture the audience's attention and interest.

Some of the most serious issues in today's media include defamation, contempt of court, and the primary one, media trials, which have severely harmed the credibility of the media. As previously said, the media is regarded as the fourth pillar of democracy. The media has the right to free expression, but this freedom is not always exercised by the media. Through the portrayal of its news, media may affect the entire outlook of individuals in society. However, it can occasionally overstep the bounds of free expression, culminating in contempt of court. As a result, commenting on pending cases that may result in defamation of the accused, prior to the judgment is a violation of the laws.

Media trial

On several instances, several High Court and Supreme Court judges have raised serious objections to the ongoing media trial campaigns by several popular TV channels directly/indirectly the fate of a case under trial, that is highly unacceptable in any democratic nation.

There have been numerous instances where the media covered the trial of an accused with insufficient information and most of the cases with wrong information and rendered a verdict even before the court has rendered its final judgment, which has a significant impact on a person's career and reputation because it generates an overarching impression of culpability no matter of the court's verdict.

It is regrettable that now we see the media as a synonym for bias, hostility, and prejudice. As a result, new regulations and norms have become critical in this hour of need in order to restore the media's lost grandeur in contemporary India. So, what we can conclude that whatever be the form people depended upon news channels and newspapers. It means the media must be responsible!

Food for thought

The media sector was formerly seen to be the most crucial part in giving voice to the voiceless, but changing times and financial investment in it have severely harmed the media's reputation. The media is a key body with the potential to affect a person's and hence society's perception on everything it circulates. As a result, it is critical for the media to exercise its basic freedom while adhering to state law and order and without diverting from its exclusive purpose. None but the media house has to think about their role and responsibilities. The choice is up to them. What to do? To ‘impress people?’ or ‘impact people?’

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